BA captain fights sacking

[Just_Another_Pilot]

Any inside information about this small article?

A BA captain reduced an "unstable" elderly woman to tears after she told crew she feared there was a bomb on board a jumbo jet, a Croydon employment tribunal heard today.

Stuart Clapson, a pilot for 30 years, abandoned takeoff on the Gatwick runway then humiliated the woman in front of other passengers, it is claimed.

Mr Clapson, from East Molesey, Surrey, was disciplined, demoted and then sacked

He claims unfair dismissal and breach of contract. The hearing continues.




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I am not afraid of crashing, my secret is . . . just before we hit the ground, I jump as high as I can.

— Bill Cosby

[Melmac]

Is this true?
Sorry for the pax, but for crying out loud,
are these pax going to get away with murder.
My wife used to fly as a cabin attendant and the abuse they had to take, unbelieveable.
Sorry to say but i feel more sorry for the captain than for the pax http://www.crewstart.com/ubb/images/icons/frown.gif

[Just_Another_Pilot]

Got it from the Evening Standard (http://www.thisislondon.com/dynamic/news/index.html) ,couldn't believe it either... Maybe some BA guys who have some more info??



[This message has been edited by Just Another Pilot (edited September 19, 2000).]

[Kimberley]

http://smilecwm.tripod.com/cwm/freak6.gif
Here's another article from the Guardian: http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4064761,00.html

The Captain is still fighting this in tribunal and no other letters of complaint were recieved fom other passengers on the plane - he should have a good shot at reversing the decision. http://smilecwm.tripod.com/net6/SMsmile2.gif

[Just_Another_Pilot]

Check the pa announcement, love it!

Sacked BA pilot 'mortified' passengers by shouting at woman

By Matt Adams

20 September 2000

Passengers on a British Airways jumbo jet were "mortified" when the captain shouted at a woman passenger who claimed a fellow traveller was carrying a bomb, an employment tribunal was told yesterday.

Captain Stuart Clapson stormed out of the cockpit to speak to the woman after announcing over the public address system that a

"stupid woman had ruined their holidays"

by causing the flight to Barbados from Gatwick to be delayed, the tribunal at Croydon, south London, was told. Captain Clapson was sacked by BA and he is claiming unfair dismissal and breach of contract.

The plane was about to take off on 26 October last year when the woman, 59, told cabin staff she was nervous about apassenger sitting near by in the club class section of the jet, which was carrying 400 people. She told the cabin services director, Peter Greenham, that she feared the man was holding a bomb.

When Captain Clapson made a routine check to see if the plane was fit to take off, Mr Greenham said it was not, and asked that it should return to its stand where the woman should be taken off.

Captain Clapson agreed, and then made his PA announcement, the tribunal was told, saying: "A stupid lady is spoiling all your holidays. I am going to get her off the aircraft and get the police who are going to arrest her and put her in jail."

When the aircraft had stopped, Captain Clapson then left the cockpit to speak to the woman. The tribunal heard an interview with the plane's purser, Mandy Gurden-Salter, who said: "He came down, saying, 'Where is she, where is she?' The lady was very shocked. She was crying."

Mr Greenham said that passengers were "mortified" by Captain Clapson's actions, who he felt had "totally over-reacted".

In his own statement, Captain Clapson said he felt the woman had "tried to incite panic among other passengers". He said he was "very firm" but did not over-react. He also denied making the initial PA announcement claimed by cabin staff.

The tribunal was adjourned until today

[Kimberley]

Must be something wrong with me... I think that's a riot!
Maybe a slap on the wrist, for the public's sake, and reinstating him on prabation would be more in order than firing him. Hey... we all have those days when we've had enough of the B.S.- tact be damned!

[Kimberley]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Arial, Verdana ">quote:<HR>Originally posted by mriya225:
Must be something wrong with me... I think that's a riot!
Maybe a slap on the wrist, for the public's sake, and reinstating him on probation would be more in order than firing him. Hey... we all have those days when we've had enough of the B.S.- tact be damned!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

What the....??? http://www.crewstart.com/ubb/images/icons/confused.gif



[This message has been edited by mriya225 (edited September 20, 2000).]

[I_know_nothing]

Hey,

I am a flight attendant, but if something like this would happen to one of "us", our union would take care of it!

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I am from Barcelona; I know nothing!
Iknownothing@crewmail.to

[Melmac]

Thats what i´m thinking, was there some friction between cockpit & cabin crew here?

[traveler]

There is now !

[I_know_nothing]

Well, not from my site, actually I would love to be a pilot and have taken several lessons in the states. This is also the reason why I read and sometimes post on "your" bb. I feel very soory for this captain and think BA should be ashamed!!!!

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I am from Barcelona; I know nothing!
Iknownothing@crewmail.to

[busty]

if some captains acted less like dickheads, the world would be a better place

[Flight_Attendant]

Well Busty,

what's your problem with flightdeck crew? I just read your post in the topic "gay crew section" and if I read this I could think that you're a little bit frustrated...Which I don't of course... When I read the post of traveler I think it's not meant seriously and
I know nothing did not reply that way as well

regards
Flight Attendant ( and yes I am a fa)

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[This message has been edited by Flight Attendant (edited September 22, 2000).]

[exeng]

Dear Busty,

Can we presume that you aren't too keen on Captains then, maybe F/O's and F/E's also?

Go on, tell us your stories, what is it that they have done to make you feel this way?


Regards
Exeng

[Erin]

I was just at the gay crew section and noticed this post there:
"the only ant-gay attitude you'll sometimes experience at BA, is from pilots
-just to let you know.."

author: Busty

So maybe this is the problem, but anyway, let's give Busty a chance to speak for himself...

I don't have this feeling by the way ( I am gay too) although my signature may give you this impression..

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If we are what we eat, then some pilots should eat more chicken

[traveler]

with: there is now.
I mean: there is friction now between that Captain and that Cabin Crew. Since they're testifying to different stories in court. So keep your shorts on please.